Operating table



u 1933. I G. A. BRl IWSTE1Q 1,912,471

OPERATING TABLE Filed April 16 1929 gwtwnl oz Geoviye BTavsr dttouwg Patented June 6, 1933 UNITED STATES GEORGE A. BREWSTER, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK OPERATING TABLE Application filed April 16,

This invention relates to improvements in operating tables and proposes a table which is particularly suitable for use in connection g with osteopathic treatments. It may be pointed out that in the practice of Osteopathy, it is desirable-to support the patient, face downward, upon a table and to adjust portions of the supporting surface provided by H the table in order to bring the parts of the body of the patient to a certain position or alignment at which complete relaxation is either promoted or facilitated.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a table upon which a patient may lie, 1a which may be adjusted so that the weight of the patient will cause the top portions of the table to move automatically to a position at which the parts of the body of the patient is placed in proper alignment.

Another object of the invention is to provide atable which may readily be adjusted to accommodate the weight of a patient and which, when adjusted, will support the pa- F ticnt resiliently in the desired position.

A further object is to provide a simple,

sturdy and compact construction which may be inexpensively manufactured.

The invention primarily resides in pivotally mounting conterminous supporting sec tions of the table, the adj acent ends of which are adapted to move downward by virtue of the weight of the patient, and providing resilient means to regulate or control the down- M ward movement so as to bring the parts of the body of the patient to, and resiliently maintain them in, the desired alignment.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the table. Figure 2 is a top planview of the same. Figure 3 is an end elevation.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sec tion along line 44 of Fig. 3.

In accordance with the invention, a patient supporting surface is provided by a pair of conterminous top sections 1, each of which is pivotally mounted on separate cross or piv- ,ot rods 2. The pivot rods 2 may be support- 59 ed in any suitable manner, the support herc- 1929. Serial No. 355,510.

in shown consisting of oppositely disposed triangular side frames 3 for each top section 1, each side frame being provided with supporting legs 4. The support for the sections also includes cross bars which extendbetween, and are secured to, the oppositely disposed side frames 3 at each side thereof, these bars serving to maintain the spacing of the side frames 3 and to increase the rigidity of the construction. he proper space relation 60 between the centrally located or inner ends of the topsections 1 is maintained by connecting the side frames of each section through separate rods 6 to a common tie rod 7. It may be pointed out that each pivot rod 2 is spaced away from the center of its respective section so as to extend more closely to the outer end thereof than the inner end whereby the inner or adjacent ends ofthe sections are adapted to move downward by virtue of the weight of a patient who is arranged upon the supporting surface provided by the sec-- tions.

The invention, as stated, also includes a resilient means for regulating or controlling the downward movement of adjacent ends of the top sections 1. The resilient means, herein provided, include a semi-circular rod 8 carried by each top section 1, each rod being arranged concentrically about the piv- 30 ot rod 2 on which its particular section is mounted and preferably arranged to pass through a suitable recess formed in each cross bar v5; Each rod 8 carries a pair of springs 9 and 10, one spring on either side of the cross bar 5 extending nearest the center of the table; in other words the inner cross bar. The spring 9 extends from a collar 11 which abuts the inner cross bar 5, to the under surface of that particular section while the spring 10 extends between the collars 12 and 13 which abut the inner and outer cross bars 5 respectively. The collars 12 and 13 normally are loose on the rod 8 but they may, when desired, be fixed thereto by the set screws shown. To hold the sections against retrograde tipping movement,each rod 8 carries an additional collar 14 which is fixed to the rod at a point such as to abut the outer cross bar 5 when the top section occupies its normal or horizontal position.

It is evident that the weight of a patient lying upon the table, will cause the adjacent ends of the sections 1 to move downward. This downward movement may, in the case of patients of average weight, be resisted or regulated solely by the springs 9. If the patient be a person of greater than average weight, both springs 9 and 10 are utilized, the collars 12 in such case being fixed to the rods 8. By the use of suitable springs, the arrangement, in either case, is effective to bring the parts of the body of the patient automatically to the desired alignment. When it is desired to hold the sections in a horizontal position or at some particular in clination, it is only necessary to arrange the sections in such position and then secure the ;collars 13 to the rods 8, these collars cooperating with the outer cross bars 5 to prevent further movement of the rods 8.

Having described my invention, I claim: 1. An operating table of the class described 5 3 comprising supporting means, sections arranged end to end and pivotally mounted on said means intermediate their ends to provide a supporting surface upon which a patient may lie, the adjacent ends of the sections being adapted to move downward by virtue of the weight of the patient, and spring means for automatically controlling the downward movement of said adjacent ends so as to align theparts of the body of the patient and resiliently maintain them in such alignment.

2. An operating table of the class described comprising supporting means, sections arranged end to end and pivotally mounted on said means intermediate their ends to pro vide a supporting surface upon which a patient may lie, the adjacent ends of the sections being adapted to move downward by virtue of the weight of the patient, resilient means for automatically controlling the downward movement of said adjacent ends so as to align the parts of the body of the patient and resiliently maintain them in such alignment and stops for preventing a retro- T grade movement of the sections substantially beyond their normal end to end position.

3. An operating table of the class described comprising supporting means, sections arranged end to end and pivotally mounted on said means intermediate their ends to provide a supporting surface upon which a patient may lie, the adjacent ends of the sections being adapted to move downward by virtue of the weight of the patient, resilient means for automatically controlling the downward movement so as to align the parts of the body of the patient and resiliently maintain them in such alignment and means for locking the sections in any desired align ment. i

4. An operating table of the class described comprising supporting means, sections arranged end to end and pivotally mounted on said means to provide a supporting surface upon which a patient may lie, the adjacent ends of the sections being adapted to move downward by virtue of the weight of the patient, a rod secured to and depending from the under side of each section, and a spring arranged on each rod to automatically control the downward movement of its section and thereby to bring the sections in a position at which the parts of the body of the patient are aligned and in which said parts are resiliently maintained in alignment.

5. An operating table of the class described comprising supporting means, sections arranged end to end and mounted on said means to provide a supporting surface upon which a patient may lie, the adjacent ends of the sections being adapted to move downward by virtue of the weight of the patient, a semi-circular rod secured to and depending from the under side of each section, said rod being concentrically arranged about the pivot of its section, a cross bar arranged under each section and adjacent to said rod and a spring arranged on each rod and adapted to be compressed between said cross bar and its section upon the downward movement of such section.

6. An operating table of the class described comprising supporting means, sections arranged end to end and mounted on said means to provide a supporting surface upon which a patient may lie, the adjacent ends of the sections being adapted to move downward by virtue of the weight of the patient, and means for controlling the downward movement so as to align the parts of the body of the patient, said means including duplex springs one of which is adapted to be rendered operative or inoperative at the will of the operator.

7 An operating table of the class described comprising supporting means, sections arranged end to end and mounted on said means to provide a supporting surface upon which a patient may lie, the adjacent ends of the sections being adapted to move downward by virtue of the weight of the patient, and means for controlling the downward movement so as to align the parts of the body of the patient, said means including duplex springs one of which is normally operative and the other of which is normally inoperative but adapted to be rendered operative at the will of the operator to accommodate a weight over the range of said spring first mentioned.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature. 

